Stop arrangement for limiting the tensioning of the drive spring of a fuze clockwork-movement



Jan. 13, 1970 b SIMMEN 3,489,090

STOP ARRANG' NT F LIMITING THE TENSIO G OF THE DRIVE \ING OF A FUZ LOCKWORK-MO MENT File d Dec. 1967 INVENTOR fiaBE/PT Emma y ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,489,090 STOP ARRANGEMENT FOR LIMITING THE TEN- SIONING OF THE DRIVE SPRING OF A FUZE CLOCKWORK-MOVEMENT Robert Siminen, Geneva, Switzerland, assignor to Mefina S.A., Fribourg, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed Dec. 11, 1967, Ser. No. 689,444 Claims priority, application Switzerland, June 30, 1967, 9,348/67 Int. Cl. F42c 9/04 US. Cl. 102--84 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE When the fuze setting means is turned, three rotatable rings are successively entrained until they are brought up against a stationary stop, which prevents further turning of the fuze setting means.

Background of the invention The invention relates to a stop arrangement for limiting the extent to which the drive spring of a fuze clockwork-movement can be tensioned.

In the prior art, there are fuzes which employ a fuzesetting reference means that moves, for example, in a helical path as the fuze setting means is adjusted. Unfortunately, a fuze-setting reference means of this kind is not constructed sufficiently robustly so that it can withstand the great forces that occur at the end of the fuze setting procedure.

Summary of the invention The purpose of the invention is to furnish a robustly constructed stop arrangement which positively limits the angular displacement of the fuze setting means when the latter arrives at its maximum rotation, without damage to the stop arrangement.

Brief description of the drawing The invention will be described in detail with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation, partly cut away, of a projectile fuze incorporating the stop arrangement of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1 before the fuze has been set; and

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line IIII of FIG. 1 after the fuze has been set.

Description of the preferred embodiments With reference to FIG. 1, a projectile fuze is illustrated, the body 1 of which supports a rotary ogive 2 comprising the setting means for the fuze: in other words, the means which is rotated about the axis of the fuze to give the latter a desired setting.

In order to avoid, when setting the fuze, excessively tightening the drive spring of the fuze clockwork-movement, the movement is furnished with a stop arrangement, the purpose of which is to limit the extent to which the spring can be tensed when the fuze-setting is at maximum. As shown in FIG. 1, the stop arrangement comprises three coaxial rings 3, 4 and 5, which rotate on a central member 6 of the fuze. The ogive 2 incorporates a recess 7 which permits the rings to rotate freely. Each ring incorporates a stop 8, or first stop member,

constituted by a downwardly curved radial projection. Each stop 8 is a drive member for the next lower ring. The fuze body 1 carries a stop 9, or second stop member, formed by a pin with which cooperates the stop 8 of the last ring 5 of the series of three rings. A third stop member 10, also a pin, is integral with the ogive 2. This stop cooperates with the stop 8 of the first ring 3 to rotate the latter during the setting of the fuze.

The described embodiment operates in the following manner:

Before the fuze is set, the three rings 3, 4 and 5 are located in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, stop 8 of ring 5 contacting the stop 9, and stops 8 of rings 4 and 3 respectively contacting the stops 8 of rings 5 and 4. The stop .10, integral with the ogive 2, contacts the stop 8 of the first ring 3. As the fuze is set, the ogive 2, which is the fuze setting means, is rotated clockwise, as seen in FIG. 2. After having been rotated through approximately one revolution, the stop 10 of the ogive contacts the opposite side of the stop 8 of the ring 3, and drives the latter. After a second revolution of the ogive 2, the ring 3 has completed approximately one revolution, and its stop contacts the stop 8 of ring 4. During a third revolution of the ogive 2, the two rings 3 and 4 are simultaneously rotated until, the rings 3 and 4 having nearly completed a revolution, the stop 8 of ring 4 contacts the stop of ring 5, and the latter is also driven in rotation. After a further revolution by the ogive 2, the stop 8 of the last ring 5 abuts against the stop 9, which positively prevents any further angular setting of the fuze, without risk that the drive spring of the fuze clockwork-movement will be excessively tightened by an immoderate force applied to the ogive 2.

An additional advantage of the invention is that it also limits rotation of the ogive 2 in the reverse sense, to put the fuze back in its original un-set condition, because the stops 9 and 10 prevent the ogive from being rotated farther than back to its zero position.

The invention admits of various embodiments. For example, the number of rotary members or rings 3, 4 and 5 can be chosen in accordance with the number of turns necessary by the ogive 2 to obtain the maximum fuze setting. Moreover, the rings can be replaced by a stack of discs. The stops 8 on the rotary members can be pins or a rivet integral with each of the rotary members 3, 4 and 5, the pin or rivet projecting into an arcuate slot of the adjacent rotary member.

I claim:

1. A stop arrangement for limiting the tensioning of the drive spring of a fuze clockwork-movement, when the latter is being set, at the maximum setting of the fuze clockwork-movement, including: a rotatable fuze setting means adapted to be angularly displaced more than 360; a series of a plurality of planar coaxial rings having a common configuration and mounted in superposed relationship for independent rotation; an independent first stop member projecting from the periphery of each of said rings, said first stop member of each of said superposed rings engaging during its rotation said first stop member of the next adjacent of said rings to be set in rotation; a fuze body; a second stop member rigid with said fuze body; a third stop member rigid with said fuze setting means and moving therewith, said third stop member, during rotation of said fuze setting means, coming into contact with said first stop member of the uppermost of said superposed coaxial rings, thereby driving the latter in rotation, whereby the first stop member thereof comes into contact with the first stop member of the next ad- 3 iacent of said coaxial rings, thereby driving the latter in rotation until the first stop member of the lowermost of said superposed rings contacts said second stop member on said fuze body, whereby said coaxial rings and said fuze setting means are positively prevented from further rotation.

2. The stop arrangement as defined in claim 1, including a central fuze member, and wherein each said ring is mounted free to rotate about said central fuze member.

3. The stop arrangement as defined in claim 2, wherein sair central fuze member defines an axis, and said rings are spaced along said axis, the first ring to be set into rotation being at one end of said series, and each successively rotated ring being adjacent the ring last driven in rotation. V

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,192,542 3/1940 De Benedetti 10283 2,748,706 6/1956 Field 10264 X 3,114,216 12/1963 Crawford et al. 5883 X FOREIGN PATENTS 15,034 5/1913 Great Britain.

10 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner J. F. WEBB, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

